New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-11
"ALIOE. +"
WHAT THE AUTHOR SAYS ABOUT HER.
Letofs Carroll IN fhe 1Hea"~

WHAT The AOInO oAAo ADSS~ ~~~>~'
Lepts Carroll In The Theatre.
N.rv day had wo ro~ed together on that Suiet
stresmI-the three little maideus aud land many
fairy talo had been extemporized Tor their a.
bsther Il was at times when the narrator was tnH
VEIN" and fancies unsoueht came c,owdinS t nSa
upon him at times when tbs jaded muse nso 100
eOaded into action ana pIcSSuee than that she had
something to say-yet none Q, t9 ;S TLs snmmcr
written down they lived and died, n Ho until
midges, each in its own golden siternoSn, ;ttIe
thsrs came day when as it Glanced one OF my niue
lsteuers petitioncd that the tale might oe wren
for her That was many year aga Sesperate attempt
70 strike out come new line OF fair ylore had sent my
heroine straight down rabbit-ho'e, 10 pegih Will
without the least idea what to happen aiterwafu
And 80. to please q Guild loved Il don't remember
having any other motivc). printed in manuscript,
and illustrated with my own crude cesgasruekr ~
that rcbelIed against every law OF Anatomy or Ar.
0or had never had lesson in drawnglL.nSt, pom
which have JUS. had reproduced in ioc-smiie:, ~
writing it out addod many 1fc Saars afterwards,
wrote 1t oil over again tor publ'ca,lon e"' knn@i
perhaps interest some readers Oh Ai'0 I'D of the
dalorue came of itself Sometimes an l1ea c9mss ~
night when have had to get up ana strihe m,
vail when have had to stop, and with haifrozen
Hn,crs lot down few words which should Keep the
new born idea from porshng-pu' wnenete cot nvsn.
ton ,ong like a clocK. by any voluntary windhgup,
nor do believe that a2y original writing Sanu Mnae
produced. II YOU sit down, unmpassioned ana
uninspired and tell yourself to write LOT 30 many
hours you will merely produce !at ieas. s s which
file, 40 far as CAL judge, two-tblrds OF nost sn
sn.smost to write most weary 10 mnd one
call it padding and tS;n 20 my "'I modern
literature .Alics and the Looking -Giass ~; me-
made up wholly bits and scraps single IDEAS wn h
at least thew were the best had to offer, and can
desire higher praise to be written u INC ""'' INV
words OF q Poet, written OF Poet
He gave the people OF his best:
The worst he kept, the best he gave
have wandered from my sutjeet. know yet
grant me another minute TO relate ttIe incG ;e IA
my own experience | was wai%ng en- 49,, n," ,h,,e
alone one bright summer day, when suddenly , .n'r
camc into INV head line ot verse-one sonta[y INC
"For the Shark was q BoOjum, you see. 1 keew
not What it kn and n somo tins alter
ward tie rest OF the etanza occurred 70 me- .nas
being it's last line aud by degrees at odd monen,s
pierced itself together that being it's last stanza ana
since them periodically have received eout.e tbs
letter. from to ss"yv wH ST
soms hidden moral, is political satire ana ior
oil such questions have but one answer, aoh
know And nov return to my text, ana VIII wShoef
Stand forth then, from the shadowy past, Alice,
the child OF NY Full many bat rays tRcs
birth but can call 1t up almost as clearly az II 1t
we're yostorday-the cloudlese blue above the w"tey
tinkls of the drops that fell from the oars as they
waved 40 .ieepiiy to and fro, and tho one bright
CLEAN of life In all this slumbero9s scene the three
would no, DC said nay to from whore lips tell us
story. please" had all the stern i"rnntabiity of
What vert thou. Dream Alice. in thy foster fathers
eyesi How shall he picture thee Loving, first loving
and gentle loving rs doc forgIve the prosac smilc
but know of no earthly love 50 pure and perfect,
and gentle as o fawn then courteous courteous to
ALL high or low Grand or gr0iesqu MIG OF oa,erpil
s SSns of wTCusa s
ready accept the widest impossibilities with all
that utter trust that only dreamers know anu lasuy
curous-wildly curious and with the eager enjoyment
OF Lite that comes only in the happy hours OF child
hood when all is and tair and when Sin and Sor-
row are but Wb %b St hm %as BE-
framed the Alice" lines, or meant as contrast
As contrast. distinctly .. For her youth az;
read Selderly," timid,7 "ieeble," and "nervously
shy shallying, and yon will get something OF what
meant him to be- think the White RABBIT should
and his knees CULVER and his whole air suggest total
inability to say 30 to goose!
Gus Editor OF The Theatre" half the space shonld
need leven my readers patience would hold out) 20
va %y pppess o UnI
Hearts, the Red Queen. and the White queen. III
was certainly hard my Muse to expect her TO sing
OF three Queens within such bref compass and yet TO
give 10 each her distinct Individuality Each, OF
course had TO preserve, through all her eccentreiie
a certain queenly dignity That was essential. AND,
for dstingnishing traits l pictured TO myself the
Queen OF Hearts as a sort OF embodiment OF ungovern
allie passion "a blind and aimess Fury. The Red
Queen pictured also as Fury but OF another type
her passion must be cold and calm she must be
formal and strict yet not unkinaly; pedantc to the
tenth dsgree. the concentrated essence OF all govern
esses Lastly, the White Queen seemed to my dream
ing fancy gentle. stupid tat and pale helpless as
an infant and with low, maundering, bewildcred
air about her. Just suggesting imbecilty but never
quito passing into it that would be, think, fatal TO
any comic effect she might Otherase produce. There
IL character strangely like her in Mr. Wilkie Colnss
novel (" No Name: BY tyo different yet convefging
paths we have somehow reached the same ideal, and
Mrs. Wragg and the White Queen might have been
twin sisters.